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Thanks for asking. This has come up before and this is my understanding: any soundhole too large in diameter for an M1, M1Active or M80 should be too large for the guitar. The M1A should be able to install into that soundhole. The only aesthetic concern is that the angled ends of the pickup's trapazoid shape would not follow the line of the rosette as well as it would in a round soundhole.

The M-series pickups would even fit into the large D-shaped soundhole of a Selmer-Maccaferri guitar if it were not for the fingerboard protruding into it.

Washburn Oval soundholes follow-up

I would love to buy an M1A, due to its 'guitar body influence', but am worried that this would be affected/diminished by the 'lack of substantial contact' on the Washburn's large oval hole, compared to a standard circular hole. A review stated that about 20% of the signal was picked up from the body (for M1A) & am worried that this would reduce.
On the post by Bryan McM, it is stated that this has come up before, but I can find no other supporting detail that would put my mind at rest. Can anyone supply any?
Also, for me to work the contact area myself, can you supply
A) the lateral dimensions (including the outer measurements of the clamping screws)
B) how close the clamping screws are allowed to get to the hole-edge/surround (do they touch?)

The amount of surface area coupling the pickup to the soundboard is not as crucial to the pickup's response as it is to the pickup's ability to simply hold itself in place. The pickup only needs to be coupled to the soundboard so it can respond to its vibrations.

Having less area on which to grip the soundhole edge will likely affect the pickup's ability to stay in place before it altered how much soundboard energy is sensed by the pickup.

That being said, the soundhole in the pictured guitar likely has too large a diameter for the M-Series pickups to mount securely.

Oval soundholes continued...

Hi Bryan
I thank you for your caution, even though this ran a bit contrary to your initial post & the nice "Selmer-Maccaferri" claim, so I am now definitely "Confused of Reading". However, I am still interested in buying one, but would like to get your further opinion on the "secure mountability".

To do this I would like the info asked for re (a) the dimensions & (b) the fitting with respect to how close the mounting screws can be to the edge of the soundhole.

Then I could draw a paper template to match to my soundhole, & take a picture so you could give your more-considered verdict.
[I do have the lateral dimensions from the amazon website as 7.6 x 2.5 cm, but, if 7.6 is the max length, what is the length along the short side & what is the distance between the outside of the mounting screws ?]

Hecube
-------- Did you get & fit an M1A? Was it OK? Please let us all know...

PS: I've estimated the size of the pick-up plan-profile from the Amazon measurements (actually 11cm x 2.2cm) & attempted to apply them to the image from the LRB website.
I've put the "paper template pickup" (hopefully lifesize) both on top of & underneath the soundhole in what I hope is a realistic position & taken 2 pictures so you can make an intial judgement as to suitability (or give me any further advice).

Please confirm answers to my dimension & positioning questions so I can do this even more accurately.
Thanks in anticipation.

PPS
I have an extra image, enlarged, showing under & over at front & back.2012-08-21 21.20.22.jpg
Another M1A blog says you could mount it at the bridge end, but you would have to reverse the pole pieces. It looks to me that the string spacing gets wider towards the bridge & so strings are not so aligned to pole pieces. So I cant see this would help (as my soundhole looks symmetrical. What do you think?

To avoid getting into technical drawings or listing dimensions with text descriptions, please call me at your convenience at 805-929-3545, ext. 111, for real-time dimensions with clarification of what's being measured.

Hi Bryan
Thanks for continued interest. I am now off on holiday & won't return until Sep 3rd. Is it ok to call then (or is it your Labor day)? Also what time zone are you in so that I can sync the call to you with UK time?
Thanks again
'Woody'

The ANSWER!

Bryan/Hecube/all
I have now found a local kind stockist and the time to take my guitar to visit him. He kindly opened a brand new M1A and undid the mounting screws so that we could see how it slotted into the wide curved oval fingerboard end. The result was...
Although there was not as much contact/grip area as there would have been on a circular hole, there was quite enough grip to hold it in place securely. Based on this, I will now confidently put this forward as my next birthday present, and advise anyone with a similar Washburn guitar that it does indeed fit.
The only thing I cannot confirm is the sound quality as my kind shop was not quite so kind as to allow me to connect it up fully. Based on the tech-replies above, I have no doubt that it should sound every bit as great as a std circular hole...!!
Result!
Woody